Electrical regulator.



F.: CONRAD. eLEcfRmAL nEGuLAToR. .APPuc'ATlon rino ma. 3. i910.

Patented July 20, 1915.

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. l I x ATTORNEY F. CUNRAD.

ELECTRICAL REGULATOR.

APPLICATION mep FEB. 3. 1910.V

1,1*146,925. Y Patented July 20, 1.915.

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*ELECTRIC x AND MANUFACTURING' COMPANY,

Specification of Letters Patent.

A conrcRATIoN or PENNsYL- ELECTRICAL uneima'-ifo1i.`

Patented July 20, 1915.

' Application filed February 3, 1910. serial No. 541,785.

TQ all whom it may concern.'

' lBe it'` known that I, FRANK CONRAD, a citizen of the UnitedStates,and a resident of Swissvale, in the county of Allegheny andState ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in ElectricalRegulators, of.` which the following is a specification. v

My invention relates t'o devices for regulating the voltage delivered'to an electrical circuit by Va generator or for regulating the operationof a. booster that is employed in connection with a secondary battery.

The object of my invention is to provide aregulator of the characterlindicated that shall bev effective andA reliable in operation andsimple and economical in construe'- y tion.

booster that The 'invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,Figure 1 of which is a diagrammatic view of asystem in which theinvention is embodied in a voltage regulator'. Fig. 2 illustrates amodification of the regulator of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a diagrammaticview of a system in which the invention is embodied in a regulator for ais employed in connection 4with a battery.

Iii-Fig. 1, field magnet winding 1, of' an alternating current generator2 that is connected to a distributing circuit 3 is supplied withexciting current from an exciter 4 in series with field magnet winding 5of which vis a resista-nce 6. A shunt circuit to the resistance 6 isgoverned by means of apair ofcoperating contact terminals 7 and 8,

the former of which is carried by the arma-- ture 9 of anelectro-magnetically operated device that i's'provided with threewindings 10, 1l and 12. The main winding 10 is connected across thecircuit 3 and accordingly exerts an attractive force upon the armatureQ-Whioh tends to raise the same and is proportionalto the voltage of thesaid circuit. The winding 11 is connected in series with the exciterarmature and the field magnet winding of the generator 2, and thewinding 12` is connected between the terminals of the armature of theexciter, a resistance 13 being preferably connected -in series therewithfor'the purpose of causing the current therein to agree in phase, ap-

proximately, with the voltage applied to the winding.' The windings 11and 12 are differential windings, the winding 11 opposing At normalvoltage .of the circuit 3, the

windin 10 is energized to such ya degree that it Just permits thecontact terminal 7 to engage the terminalV 8. Under this condition, theresistance 6 is short-circuitied and the field of the exciter i'sstrengthened. This -results in an'increase in' voltage o1' the exciterand a strengthening of the field of the generator. By reason of thestrengthening ofthe generator field, the voltages of the generator andof the circuit 3 are increased and the winding 10 becomes energized to asuflicient degree toeif'ect separation of the terminals 7 and 8. Sincethe current i-n the field magnet winding of the generator lagsconsiderably behind the electromotive force applied 'to it, the voltageofA the 'generator will lag considerably behind the electromotive forceofthe exciter, with under ordinary conditions, the terminals 7 and 8will not be separated until sometime after the voltage of the exciterhas attained a suliicient value for ultimately effecting the desiredstrengthening of the field of the generator. In order to effect thesepara-tion of the terminals 7 and .8, sooner than vcan be effected bythe winding 10 alone, the differ` .inductive resistance the currenttraversing it will be nearly, or approximately, in phase with theelectromotive force of the exciter armature. The winding 12 exerts aforce, therefore, upon the armature 9 which is supplementary to thatexerted bythe Winding 10 and assists in effecting the separation of theterminals 7 and 8, so that, suoli separation will occur sooner than itwould if the winding 10 were relied'upon` alone for effecting theseparation.

As the winding 11 is in serieswithl the' field of the generator, thecurrent traversing it will not rise toits full value unt-il sometimeafter the current traversing the winding 12 has attainedits full value.However, when the current traversing the winding 11 has attained itsfull value, the magnetizing ef! fects of the windings 11 and 12neutralize upon by the winding 10 alone.

the result that,

Upon .separation of the terminals 7 and 8, the resistance (3 is includedin the circuit of the exciter field winding 5 with the result that thefield strength and the voltage ofthe exciter are diminished, as well asthe field strength and voltage of the generator. The

'lowering of. the generator voltage effects a reduction of theattraction exerted bythe winding 10 upon the armature i), and theterminalv7 is'again lowered' into engagement with the terminal 8. Thereengagement of the terminals 7 and 8 is hastened by reason y of tielowering of' the voltageof the exciter,

and a consequent temporary reduction ofthe winding 10 will be energizedto a slightly l lessened degree, the result being that the periods ofengagement of the terminals 7 and S are slightly longer than the periodsof disengagement, and that theresistance 6 is shunted forslightly'greater periods than it is included in 'the circuit of theexciter field winding 5. This will cause increased field strength andvoltage of both the exciter and the generator, so that the generatorwill maintain the voltage of the circuit 8 substantially normal. 1f, onthe other hand, the' load upon the circuit 3 is light and thereis aAtendency for the voltage to exceed its normal Value, the winding 1()will cause the periods of disengagementvof the terminals 7 and 8 to belonger than the periods of engagement, with the result that the field.strength and voltage of both the exciter and generator will be loweredaccordingly.

Instead of connecting one of the auxiliary windings of the regulatingvdevice between the termina-ls of the exciting armature and lthe otherin series therewith and with the field of the generator, both windings14 and 15 may be connected in series with the exciter armature andgenerator field winding as shown in Fig. 2. A resista-nce 16 isconnected in series with one of the windings 15 for the purpose ofcausing the current trav-v ersing the winding 15 to be leading in phasewith respect to the current traversing the Winding 14. With sucharrangement, the operation of the regulator will be substantially thesame as described inl connection with Fig. 1, except, of course, thatthe current traversing the winding 15 will not be as near in phase withthe exciter electromotive force as the current traversing the winding 12of Fig. 1. In Fig. 2 also, an auxiliary relay 17 having stationary andmovable contact terminals 18 and 19 is vinterposed between Ytheresistance 20 in the' exciter field circuit and lthe terminal members21' and 22 for the purpose of governing the shunt to the saidresistance'and of relieving the terminals 21 and 22 of the arcing thatmight otherwise occur between them. The relay 17 comprises a lever 23that carries the terminal 19 at one end and an armature 25 at its otherend, and a mag-y net 26 having differential windings 27 and 28, one ofwhich is connected permanently between the tern'iinals of theexciterarmature and the circuit of the other of which is governed by thecontact terminals 21 and' 22. Whenthe terminals 21 and 22 engage eachother, the windings 27 and 28 neutralize -each other and the terminal 19is caused to engage the terminal 18 by means of a spring' 2S), and whenthe terminals 21 and 22 are not lin engagement, the magnet 26 ismagnetized by the windings 28 and accordingly attracts thc armature 25,thereby effecting separation of the terminals 18 and 19. The operationof the remainder of the system will be understood from the descriptionof the operation `oi' the system of' lFig. 1.

ln Fig. 3, the regulator is employed for governing the direction andvalue of the voltage of a booster 3() and the charging and dischargingof the battery 31, thel booster and battery being connected, in series,to a distributing circuit 32. The booster 30 is driven by a motor 33, orit may be driven by any other suitable means. Current is supplied to thebooster field magnet wind'- ing` 34 by means of an exciter 35 having twoequal and opposing field magnet windings 36 and 37, that are suppliedfrom the circuit 32, and in series with which are resista'nces 88 and39. The exciter may also be driven by the motor 33. .'lhe relay 10 isemployed for shunting the one or the other of the resistances 88 and 39,this relay being similar in construction and in operation to the relay17 of Fig. 2. The regulating device is also similar to that of' Figs. 1and 2 and coinprises a main operating winding 41 that is supplied withcurrent which is in'oportional to that traversing the circuit and, tothat end, is connected in shunt to a resistance 42 that is includedinthe said circuit. The regulating device is also provided withauxiliary windings 4-3 and 44 that are respectively connected betweenthe terminals ol the exciter armature and in series there with and withthe lie-ld winding IH oi the booster 30. y

If the load upon the circuit 32 is such that it can be carried entirelyby' the generator #16, and the battery 31 neither charges nordischarges, the contact terminals 47 and i158 will be caused to engageand disengage tor equalI periods oit' time by the action olf (hev coils41, 48 and 11 upon the armature -19` ,carries the 'terminal 47. Avibratoryl .movement of th airniature and lever of the relayv 40 is thusfiected, and contact termi- 501v th'atlpisw fried thereby iscausedto-gage'ffor equal periods of time, with conen tact terminals 51 and 52.The resistances 38 and 39- are 'l thus shortcircuited for equal lperiods of time and the windings 36 and 37 are accordingly fullyenergized for equal periods-of time. -The field strength and the' --V-voltage of the exciter therefore fluctuate somewhat'and thefeld strengthand volt- 1 age 'of the ',booster'30 follow the said fluctuations butare of less amplitude, on ac.

r count of' the inductance 'of the booster field. The action of theregulator in effecting this resultis substantially as described inconnection With'the system' of F ig. 1.

'If the load upon the circuit 32 is such that current is required fromthe battery .31

' Ato supplement that vsupplied by the genera= -tor 46, the contactterminals 47 and 48 will 'be caused, by the windings41, 43, and 44, to

.remain out 'o engagement .for longer pey v riods .than theyremain inengagement, and

fthe contactterminal 50. will, therefore, en-

then predominate' over thatv of the winding` v Vgz'i-ge'the terminal 52;The magnetizing et.

vect ofthe field magnet winding 37 lwill 3,6'. The `exciter-and boosterelectromotive VAforces`are then .such that the boosterelecand is lessthan that which can'be supplied,

'bythe' lgenera-tor 46, the contact terminals 47 and 48f`w'ill remain inengagement for longer -per'iods'of time than they remain out ofengagement, and the contact member 5 0 .will engage 4the terminal 51 forlonger periods of time thanit engages the terminal 52. The

lWinding' 36 `thus predominate's in its magnetizing effect over thewinding 3 7, and `.the

exciter and booster electromotive forces are such that'the battery iscaused to take current'from the circuit 32. The action ofthe regulatoris thus such that charging and discharging of the battery is eectedautomatically in accordance with the load upon the circuit 32.

Although .`n the system of Fig. 3 the currents in the coils 43 and 44reverse in direction when the excitervoltage reverses, the resultantmagnetizing eHect of the said coils .will be the same in relation to theeffect of the coil 41 after reversal as before. This will be r'eadilyunderstood by considering, :for instance, that when the currents in thecoils 43 and 44 diminish, thecurrent in the -coil 43 follows ,thatlinthe coil 44. Const?.-

quently, at any instant during the timethat the currents aredecreasing',`,the current in.'

the coil 43 is greater `than4th-at,v

44; and the e'fect ofthe coil 43'A up'oif thercore preponderates overthat offtheicil- .44. If lthe currents-reversejin' theesaid coils, thatin the coil 43 still follows that in the coil 44, but the-effect of thecoil 44-upon the corenow .preponderates over that of the coil 43,because the currents in the coils thenl increase in value. However, onaccount of the reversal of the currents tliispreponderance or differenceis still in the same direction or p relation f with respect to the maincoil 41 as lit was previous to the reversal of currents.

While the invention hasbeen described as understood that it is notlimited, in its application, to such systems, but may be employedwithout'departing from the spirit of the invention wherever itsprinciples may be utilized to advantage.

I claim asmy invention:

1. The combination with a distributing circuit,- a generator 4connectedthereto, and

- applied to certain specific systems, it will be l an exciter for thegenerator, of a regulator comprising means lcontinuously responsive toAelectrical variations in the distributing circuit and to thephaseldifference of the eX- citer voltage and the exciting current forthe generator.

2. The combination with a distributingA circuit, a generator connectedthereto, and an exciter for the generator, of a regulator comprisingmeans responsive to electrical variations in the distributing circuitand to the phase dierence of two circuits that are continuously derivedfrom the exciter circuit.

3. The combination with a distributing circuit, a generator connectedthereto having a field winding, and an exciter for the gener. ator, of aregulator comprising a winding that is connected to the distributingcircuit and differential windings that -are connected respectively inshunt to and in series with the generator field winding.'

4. The combination with circuit, a generator connected thereto, and

lan exciter for the generator, of a regulator comprising a winding, thatis connected to the distributing circuit and other windings that areconnected respectively in series with, and between the terminals of theeX- citer and are arranged to act in opposition to each other.

5. The combination Withay distributing circuit, a generator connectedthereto having a field Winding, and anexciter for the generator, of aregulator comprising a main' winding that is connected totliedistributing circuit and auxiliarynvindings that are'connectedrespectively in series with and in shunt to the generator field winding,lthe a distributing shunt winding supplementing and the. series windingopposing the main winding.

(i. rlhe combination with a distributing circuit. a generator connectedthereto, and an exciter for the generator, of a regulator .exciter forthe generator, of a regulator com'- prising a main winding that isconnected to the. distributing circuit, auxiliary windings that areconnected to the exciter circuit,and means for displacing the phase ofthe current in one auxiliary winding with respect to that in the otherauxiliary winding, tlie winding in which the leading current fiows beingsupplementary to the main winding yand the winding in which the laggingcurrent flows being opposed to the main winding.

S. The conibination with a1 distrlbuting circuit. a generator connectedthereto, and

an Aexciter for the generator, of a regulator comprisingacontact-carrying member, a main winding and two continuously energizedauxiliary actuating windings therefor, the circuits of which areindependent of the contactcarrying member, the. auxiliary windingsreceiving current from the exciter and being arranged to act inopposition to each other.

i). The combination with a distributing circuit. a generator connectedthereto having a ii'eld winding, and an exciter for the generator, of aregulator comprising a winding that is connected to the distributingcircuit. and other windings that are continuously connected respectivelyin series with and in shunt to the generator field winding.

10. The combination with a distributing circuit, a generator connectedthereto having a field winding, and anexciter for the generator, of aregulatorpcomprising a winding that is connected to the distributingcircuit and other windings that are continuously connected respectivelyin series with :md in shunt to the generator field Winding, and aresist-ance in series withthe shunt windinv.

11. The combination with a distributing circuit, a generator connectedthereto, and

an exciter' for the genera-tor, of a regulator comprising a main windingthat is connected to the distributing circuit, auxiliary diierentialwindings that are connected in seriesl with the exciter and the fieldwinding of the generator, and means for displacing the phases of thecurrents in the auxiliary windings with respect to each other.

l2. The combination with a distributing A circuit7 a generator connectedthereto, and an exciter for the generator, of` a regulator comprisingcoperating contact members, actuating means therefor responsive toelecand continuously energized differential windings that are suppliedfrom the exciter circuit, and the circuits of which are inde.- pendentof the contact members.

76j trical Variations in the distributing circuit,

13. The combination with'a generator, and

an exciter therefor, of a iiibratoy member for regulating the resistanceof the field-clrcuit of the exciter,.a main actuating coil for the saidmember that is excited by current derived from the generator, andauxiliary differential continously energized actuating coils'f'oi; theVibratory member that'are excited by current derived from 4'the exciter,and the circuits of which are independent of the vibratory member.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 27th dayof Jan., 1910.

FRANK CONRAD.

Witnesses O'r'ro S. Scnainnn, B. B. Hixns.

esy

